Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a metabolic condition which is associated with irregular (or lack of) ovulation. It affects about 5 million American women and may involve obesity, infertility and other hormonal problems such as high testosterone and high circulating levels of insulin. If left untreated, PCOS can lead to extreme buildup in the lining of the uterus that is due to irregular menstruation. In a few cases, this can lead to cancer of the uterus.

PCOS is one of the common causes of infertility in the United States. Women with this ailment are also at a higher risk for adult-onset diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Experts think that this disorder is genetically linked. Women who have his condition have reproductive organs which are normal, but are lacking a hormonal balance between them.

It is possible that a woman with this disorder may not have any symptoms, but usually symptoms include: irregular menstrual cycles, obesity, acne, and noticeable facial hair. There is also a higher risk of miscarriage and infertility along with the possibility of a higher risk of heart disease. This would be caused from the excessive production of male hormones. The severity of symptoms differs from one woman to the next and the condition is diagnosed by symptoms and blood tests.

Normally in a cycle, the hormones rise and fall carefully in a balanced way until a mature egg is released from a follicle. However, women with PCOS can frequently become resistant to their own insulin. As a result, the high levels of insulin are likely to stimulate the ovary to produce too much testosterone, which changes the other hormonal levels as well, damaging ovulation.

Every month the body keeps trying to ovulate, repeating the effort month after month. As it does this, it creates immature follicles over and over again on the ovary. This is how it got the name: Polycystic (ovary which has developed multiple cysts) Ovary Syndrome.

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